What a difference a day makes. In the space of just over 24 hours, initial enthusiasm over the launch of Google’s Gemini AI platform has subsided and in its place is controversy over the staging of its Gemini hands-on video.

That’s because Google has been forced to admit that the initially impressive Gemini AI hands-on video it shared at the platform’s launch was, well, not entirely real. Not entirely fake, but a representation of “what Gemini could look like” rather the kind of a real-time demo most people thought they were watching.

Of course, that’s not to say that Gemini isn’t still a major step forward for Google as it looks to keep pace with AI trailblazer ChatGPT. It’s just perhaps not as much of a breakthrough as was first thought.

Was Google’s Gemini AI Hands-on Video Real?

Yes and no, but definitely closer to the latter. The hands-on video shows how Gemini is capable of understanding “multimodal prompting,” which in plain English means understanding and interacting with text and image cues simultaneously.

What isn’t legit is how Gemini’s abilities are depicted. The video clearly depicts Gemini responding to a range of multimodal challenges in real-time, which isn’t what happened.

The discrepancy was initially reported by Bloomberg’s Parmy Olson, who noted the Google’s YouTube notes on the video as revealing that: “For the purposes of this demo, latency has been reduced and Gemini outputs have been shortened for brevity.”

How Gemini AI Hands-on Video Was Actually Made

What this actually means is that the demo “wasn’t carried out in real time or in voice” and that, behind the sizzle reel of a final product, lies a series of more incremental prompts that were finely tuned to get to intended result.

In other words, to get to Gemini accurately identifying the game of rock, papers, scissors:

Image credit: Google via YouTube

You have to start with this, as showcased on the Google for Developers blog.

Image credit: Google for Developers

As you can see, it definitely doesn’t happen instantaneously, so it’s no surprise Google is facing cloak and dagger accusations now the full back story of its Gemini hands-on video has come to light.

Google has since come clean in full, adding to The Verge that the intention of the video was to “inspire” rather than deceive: “All the user prompts and outputs in the video are real, shortened for brevity. The video illustrates what the multimode user experiences built with Gemini could look like. We made it to inspire developers.”

Google Feeling the Heat From OpenAI

Coming second isn’t really in Google’s DNA, given its dominance of all things internet. Yet with OpenAI and ChatGPT the runaway AI industry leaders, that’s exactly what the Mountain View-based company is having to reckon with as we look ahead to 2024 and beyond.

Gemini clearly has potential and there’s little doubt that both ChatGPT vs Gemini and ChatGPT vs Bard – Gemini being the generative AI model Bard uses – are shaping up as the chatbot clashes to watch.

Gemini might still be great, it’s just not quite as great as Google wants you to think it is right now.

If you’re tired of your commute, but still want to work for one of the most prestigious companies in the world, Google is currently hiring for a wide range of fully remote positions that could be your ticket to meetings in your pajamas.

The benefits of remote work for employers and employees alike have been well-document over the last few years, and unlike some big tech firms, Google has been happy to adopt the new normal for some of its employees. As a result, many of its highly sought-after positions offer fully remote opportunities, as well as the generous pay and extensive benefits that Google has become known for over the years.

In this guide, you’ll learn about some of the fully remote jobs at Google, how to apply for them, and whether or not working remotely for Google is a good fit for you.

Fully Remote Google Jobs: Listings and Locations

If you’re looking for a fully remote job, chances are you aren’t entirely worried about where exactly the job will be based. Still, whether you’re trying to manage your schedule with conflicting time zones or just want to know how long the flight will be if you need to commute, Google job listings provide the office you’ll be reporting to.

As you can imagine, Google has office all over the world, so the variety of reporting is quite substantial. If you’re willing to be flexible, though, every one of these jobs can be yours, as long as you qualify.

Here is a list of just some of the fully remote jobs available at Google:

• Program Manager, Data Center Construction (Iowa, USA)
• Outbound Product Manager, Compliance, Google Cloud (Zurich, Switzerland)
• Head of Digital Customer Success, Security Customer Outcomes (Austin, TX, USA)
• Customer Engineer, Data Analytics, Google Cloud (Colombia)
• Cloud Customer Engineer, Public Sector (San Diego, CA, USA)
• Hardware System Reliability Engineer (India)
• Security Sales Specialist, Cloud Public Sector (Virginia, USA)
• Site Manufacturing Operations Manager, Technical Infrastructure (Thailand)
• Practice Leader, Cyber Crisis Communications (Australia)
• Product Quality Engineer, Product Operations, Devices and Services (India)
• Security Engineering Manager, Malware, Mandiant (United Kingdom)

Out of the approximate 1,000 positions listed at Google, only around 60 of them are considered “remote eligible.” Still, that’s a lot to choose from, so take your pick and get started!

There are also Google intern opportunities up for grabs, but you’ll need to be quick, as applications need to be in by mid-December.

Is Remote Work Right for You?

Remote work has become a considerably popular employee benefit since the forced office exodus as a result of the pandemic. Work from home statistics show that employees can benefit in a number of ways, including improved productivity, better mental health, and a more flexible schedule. Even better, employers have been shown to experience increased revenue, less turnover, and reduced absenteeism.

Still, remote work isn’t for everyone, which is why it’s important to consider the actual work conditions of working from home before making a decision. After all, you don’t want to start working from your dream job at Google, only to put in your two weeks’ notice later that day because remote work wasn’t a good fit.

For starters, it can be a bit isolating. If you’re a social person that gets energy from small talk with others, all that alone time in video chats could wear on you. Additionally, distractions in the home are a very real concern, so if you’re prone to wandering around your house or tidying up when you don’t want to get work done, remote work could actually impede your productivity.

Looking for a 4-day workweek? Here are 54 4-day workweek jobs available right now.

Should You Work at Google?

For years, Google was the pinnacle of job aspirations. The big tech firm was considered the gold standard on everything from pay and benefits to company culture and global influence.

However, over the last few years, the reputation of the tech industry — and Google along with it — has gotten decidedly worse. From mass layoffs to discontinued benefits, the once-prolific industry hasn’t been a shining example of how to take care of employees.

Let’s be honest, though, you can’t get more prestigious than Google when it comes to tech industry jobs. The company is arguably the biggest innovator in the space and its arm of influence is nothing if not substantial. Google is also at the forefront of the AI advancements, with its Bard and Gemini platforms representing two of the most established platforms in the industry.

All that to say, working at Google may not be a luxurious as it used to be, but it’s still considering one of the best companies to work for by the business world.

How to Apply for Fully Remote Jobs at Google

If you’re still on board with working remotely for Google, the next step is actually applying to these positions. You can either click the links above to the specific job listings, or head to the Google Careers website to get started.

In the filters, you’ll see a small check box that says, “remote eligible.” Make sure that this box is filled in, and you’ll be provided with all the fully remote eligible jobs at Google right now.

Not wanting to fall too far behind in the AI arms race, Meta has responded to the recent launch of Google Gemini by unveiling a new product of its own: a standalone AI text-to-image generator called Imagine with Meta AI.

Imagine with Meta AI is a text-to-image generator tool you that’s similar to others you might be familiar with, namely OpenAI’s popular DALL-E platform. You simply input a description of what you want to see visualized, let generative AI work its magic, and in a matter of seconds you have a custom image inspired by your text.

We’ve tested Meta’s new Imagine AI image generator, so read on for an introduction to the platform, how to use Imagine with Meta AI from anywhere in the world, and some tips based on our comparative testing.

What is Imagine with Meta AI?

Imagine with Meta AI is an generative AI image creator that turns your text inputs into pictures. It was first previewed at Meta Connect 2023 in November and follows in the footsteps of a similar image generator launched in beta for Meta-owned WhatsApp earlier this year.

However, Imagine with Meta AI stands out partly because it’s a standalone website, rather than being a new feature or integration for an existing Meta platform. You simply navigate to the site, log-in with your Meta credentials, and then you’re ready to start creating.

One thing that’s important to note is that Imagine with Meta is itself in beta. This means that it’s nowhere near as polished as some of the professional AI images that are being created these days.

How to Use Meta’s Imagine AI Image Generator

Getting started with Meta’s new Imagine AI image generator is easy. It’s just a matter of heading over the dedicated website, logging in, and then inputting your first prompt.

1. Go to imagine.meta.com
2. Hit the “Log in to generate” button
3. Choose to log in or create a Meta account with Facebook, Instagram or email
4. Follow the prompts to connect or create a Meta account

The only catch is that Imagine by Meta is currently only available in the US. You can do all this and be raring to go, only to end up greeted by the following screen if you’re somewhere like the UK.

Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround that lets you try out the new Meta Imagine AI image generator from anywhere in the world.

How to Use Imagine with Meta AI Image Generator from Anywhere

If you want to check out Meta’s new AI image generator but aren’t currently in the US, then what you need is a VPN. Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN is a handy piece of software that lets you reroute your internet connection through servers located in different parts of the world. To be clear, VPNs are legal for these and many other purposes.

A major benefit of this is that it can make your computer and IP address appear like they’re in another country. This is obviously great for privacy and security, but also for getting around pesky geo-blocks like the one currently in place for Imagine with Meta – one that, anecdotally, is likely due to European regulations around data collection and usage, rather than any inherent meanness on Meta’s part.

Here, no more than 30 seconds later, you can see how access to Imagine AI was gained just by logging on using ExpressVPN, which is one of the best VPNs for business and personal users alike.

From here, you simply input a text prompt for Imagine to turn into an image. Read on as we test its capabilities and see how it stacks up.

If you’re new to the world of VPNs, don’t worry: you can get started with our top reviewed best cheap VPN for even less than usual, thanks to this great deal on Surfshark. It’s currently a whopping 82% off plus 4-months free when you sign up over the holidays.

Is Meta AI’s Imagine Image Generator Any Good?

Before we dive into our testing of Imagine with Meta AI, it’s important to reiterate that the product is still very much a beta. This means it’s a pre-release version of the software that’s knowingly flawed and buggy.

In other words, take the current capabilities of Meta AI’s Imagine image generator with a grain of salt. Unlike rivals such as DALL-E, it’s 100% free to use in its current form, so it’s not like you’ve got much to lose.

Kicking things off, we asked it to design Tech.co a new logo. It’s safe to say our creative team don’t have to worry about AI replacing them any time soon…

Next up, we asked it to conjure a new quarterback for the New England Patriots. Safe to say, it’s more promising than pretty much anything Pats fans had seen all season long. Imagine with Meta actually sort of excelled itself here.

Lastly, here is an image of “Semi-trailer trucks parked at sunset sky” currently listed in the Adobe Stock library.

Given the same prompt, here’s what Imagine with Meta AI comes up with. To our eye, they’re pretty similar in quality, with the composition of the Adobe listed one being more sophisticated and varied, giving it the edge. There’s not much else in it, though.

Tips for Using the Imagine with Meta AI Beta

The above example illustrates that the single biggest tip for using Imagine with Meta AI in this early stage of its development is to be as specific as possible with your text input. The same holds true for pretty much any generative AI platform, including being the number one thing you can do to craft the best ChatGPT prompts.

To really illustrate this point, we tried a final example that ties in with a heated debate going around Tech.co Towers at the moment over the best type of potato dish. It’s not a bad attempt by any means, but there definitely seems to be a bean stew and possibly a pasta dish lurking in there. Then again, who are we to say they don’t also feature potato?

Getting more specific, we asked Imagine with Meta AI to make a similar image but specified the types of potato dish to include. What we got isn’t necessarily more visually appealing, but it is definitely a more explicit representation of all things potato. And if explicit potato content isn’t floating your boat this holiday season, we really don’t know what will.

If you’re an Android user, think twice before using a password manager to autofill your credentials, as a study found that doing so in WebView can leak your data.

Considering how many passwords the average user has at their disposal, a password manager is an undeniably helpful tool that is supposed to help you keep track of your many credentials while securing you from potential online threats.

Unfortunately, no online tool is perfect, and this new vulnerability could have dire consequences for password manager users on Android devices.

Password Managers on Android Devices Leak Data in WebView

At the Black Hat Europe conference in London this week, researchers made a presentation that showed a significant security vulnerability for Android users. Cleverly dubbed AutoSpill by the researchers, the vulnerability occurs when you use autofill to input your login credentials in the WebView mode of your device.

Fortunately, with your typical selection of apps, there isn’t much of a problem, as the providers of legitimate services have no need for your leaked credentials. However, if you’ve downloaded a malicious app onto your device, the ease with which they gain access to your password and other data is quite troubling.

“If it is a malicious application, it will receive the credentials for free. No phishing required, no tricking needed, nothing is required.” – Ankit Gangwal of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)

Fortunately, Gangwal made password manager providers and Google aware of the uniquely Android problem and according to Gangwal, “they are trying to fix it.”

Password Manager Use on the Rise

The average user does not follow password best practices, with large percentages admitting to using the same password for multiple accounts and easy-to-guess words and phrases still topping most popular password lists.

Subsequently, password managers were designed to solve the problem, providing a secure means of logging into multiple accounts without having lax security measures protecting them. In fact, password manager usage has been on the rise, increasing 13% from 2022 to 2023.

Unfortunately, with these kinds of massive vulnerabilities, confidence in password managers could dwindle, with the average user opting for the tried-and-true sticky note method over a password manager.

How to Avoid This Vulnerability

The best way to avoid this vulnerability is to avoid using a password manager to autofill your credentials when using the WebView mode on your Android device. Still, this isn’t exactly a long-term solution, which is why the researchers suggested a more practical option.

“I think passkeys will solve this entire problem because they are signature-based, and you need to explicitly give permission to each application that can access the passkey.” – Ankit Gangwal

The passkey vs password debate continues to rage on, but luckily, the majority of providers are starting to see the value of this new means of security. The question is: when will passkeys become the standard over passwords?

Another day, another AI chatbot: Google has just released a new AI model that it is calling “Gemini.” It now joins other top AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot.

The new generative AI can handle images and video as well as text. The initial model is rolling out today with Google’s Bard chatbot.

It’s currently only available for the English language setting of Bard and will continue rolling out to many more Google products in the “coming months.” Here’s what to know about the new technology — which is Google’s “largest and most capable” AI — and how to use it.

 What Makes Gemini Stand Out?

The big reason why Google bills Gemini as its most capable model yet is the engine’s multimodal capacity. In other words, the new tech can seamlessly handle generating and reading a wider-than-ever variety of data. Here’s the fast list of all the data types Gemini works with:

• Text
• Code
• Audio
• Image
• Video

Gemini is also the most flexible model Google has delivered. The main tech being debuted today is called Gemini 1.0, but it comes in three different “sizes.”

• Gemini Ultra — largest and most capable model for highly complex tasks
• Gemini Pro — best for scaling across a wide range of tasks (Bard has this version)
• Gemini Nano — most efficient model for on-device tasks

Google is a sprawling corporation, so they need the Gemini brand to cover a vast range of uses, from huge data centers to tiny on-device uses like message suggestions. It makes sense that they’d be issuing multiple versions at once in order to deal with all their wildly different business use cases.

What Products Is Gemini Coming to and When?

The initial Bard English language rollout is available now for more than 170 countries and territories. If you want to try it out, head over to Bard and ask it if it’s using Gemini yet.

Also available now: A version of Gemini is on the Pixel 8 OS, guiding users through suggested messages.

Later this month, Gemini will become available to developers: The Google Cloud API will have Gemini starting on December 13th.

As for additional Gemini integrations, you should expect a lot more news in “coming months,” when Google says the product will become available on more products and services like Search, Ads, Chrome and Duet AI.

Related: How To Use Google’s New AI Image Generator in Search

Gemini Ultra Is “Coming Soon” in 2024

Google is “currently completing extensive trust and safety checks” for their most powerful AI model yet, Gemini Ultra. They plan to roll it out sometime in 2024.

What will Ultra add that the current Gemini models don’t have? A more fine-tuned functionality, boosted thanks to the inclusion of reinforcement learning from human feedback (called RLHF). Select developers and experts will gain early access for feedback purposes.

Also coming even sooner in 2024 is Bard Advanced, a Bard interface that packages up the latest models, including Ultra, once it’s available. Until then, it’s easy to start using the Gemini Pro model now: Just head over to Bard and start talking just like you would with any other generative AI.

The claims process for the largest-ever private anti-trust settlement in US history has officially begun. The case concerns claims that retailers allegedly paid excessive payment processing fees to accept Visa and Mastercard cards.

The US District Court, Eastern Court of New York has preliminarily approved a settlement with a minimal total payout of $5.54 billion – although this could ultimately rise to $6.24 billion, depending on the class members that have excluded themselves. Millions of US businesses are eligible for a share of the settlement money.

Recent settlements involving LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram have created a buzz online with users scrambling to submit claims, but the payout agreement in these cases pale in comparison to the multi-billion dollar settlement negotiated by the court.

• What Is the Visa and Mastercard Settlement Lawsuit?
• Who Is Eligible to Make a Claim in the Lawsuit?
• How to Submit a Claim for a Share of the Settlement
• How to Get an Early Payout for The Lawsuit
• Watch out for Visa and Mastercard Settlement Scams

What is the Visa and Mastercard Settlement Lawsuit?

Visa and Mastercard have settled a lawsuit that claimed the payment processing giants charged businesses using their systems excessive amounts to take payments from customers and clients between 2004 and 2019.

According to the class action settlement notice, the two companies violated the laws by setting interchange fees – typically around 1% to 2% of transactions – and limiting merchants’ ability to steer customers toward other payment methods, which shielded the company from “competitive pressure” to lower fees.

It also said that Visa and Mastercard “conspired together” to uphold the business practices being challenged by the lawsuit in question.

The case has been moving through the US court system at a snail’s pace – it’s been almost two decades since it was first filed – but the claims process finally began on December 1.

Speaking to Supermarket News, Brian Blockovich of the Chicago Clearing Corporation says that a store that took around $1 million in interchange fees over the 15 years specified in the lawsuit would be eligible for around $10,000.

Who Is Eligible to Make a Claim?

Reports suggest that between 12 and 18 million businesses across the United States that accepted Visa and Mastercard payments between January 1, 2004, and January 25, 2019, are eligible to claim a share of the lawsuit.

This includes grocers, convenience and liquor store owners, restaurants and diners, movie theatres, and fashion retailers – in other words, anyone and everyone who used these payment processors during the specified period.

How to Submit a Claim for the Visa/Mastercard Lawsuit

According to paymentcardsettlement.com, “claim forms began mailing on December 1, 2023, and will continue being sent for most of December”.

However, due to the high number of claim forms being mailed to businesses across the United States, many of those impacted won’t receive their claim forms until January 2024.

If you have received your claim form, then you can submit a claim on the website linked above by using the Claimant ID that will be included in the letter, and simply follow the instructions provided by the site.

So the instruction for businesses is: keep a close eye on your mail over the next two months, and as soon as you receive your letter, you can start the process. The filing process will close on May 31, 2024.

How to Get an Early Payout for The Visa/Mastercard Lawsuit

With the claims submission process set to go on for months – many companies won’t even receive their letters until late January 2024 – it’s understandable if you’d like to expedite that process and get a payout quicker.

Luckily, there are legal corporations that specialize in purchasing claims, such as Mitena and Certificate Clearing, which is part of the Chicago Clearing Corporation.

These companies will estimate your recognized loss, arrange your claim, and in some cases, “monetize your pending claim for immediate cash” Certificate Clearing explains on its website.

Along with the early payout, this will also take a lot of the claim admin off your hands. It might even improve your claim, too – The Chicago Clearing Corporation says it will “audit, review, and amend a claim” before purchase.

Watch Out for Mastercard/Visa Settlement Scams

The lawsuit referenced in this article is legitimate, and the claims portal linked in this article is the genuine claim portal for that lawsuit.

However, this is one of the biggest lawsuits to ever occur in US legal history, so it’s no surprise that fraudulent websites are trying to take advantage of the millions of people who will be looking to make a claim.

Reuters reported in mid-November 2023 that US Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo issued an order to probe a website presenting “false and misleading” information relating to the Visa and Mastercard lawsuit.

The news agency says that the fraudulent website looked similar to a legitimate, court-authorized page set up in 2019, when the case was first granted final approval. So, when applying for this settlement – either yourself or through third-parties – keep your wits about you, and never enter personal information into sites you haven’t confirmed are genuine.

The concept of the 4-day workweek is gaining traction globally, making calls for healthier work-life balances becoming harder to ignore, thanks to the success of multiple global trials.

However, while dropping a working day can benefit businesses by increasing their hiring potential, reducing their operational expenses, and lowering worker absenteeism, the majority of business leaders are yet to be convinced. This lands supporters of the movement with a decision: continue working five days a week, or move to a company that does offer the perk.

For workers interested in the latter, we’ve compiled a list of top 4-day workweek companies hiring this December. We also, note what job titles are currently available, and explore other options for those that can’t find an opening that suits them.

Qwick

Qwick is a professional hospitality platform that matches freelancers with shifts. The growth-stage company is expanding fast, offering work-from-home and hybrid working options to its growing US workforce.

Qwick first introduced a four-day workweek in April 2022, and decided to stick it out after 95% of the team claimed that it positively impacted their work-life balance. The company doesn’t comprise salaries either, paying it’s workers 100% of their wages and reviewing pay twice a year to keep up with changing market values.

Alongside a four-day workweek, Qwick’s other perks include unlimited paid time off (PTO), a flexible work environment, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, and an employee equity program.

If this sounds good to you, take a look to see if any of Qwick’s current openings align with your experience:

• Performance Marketing Manager, Growth
• Marketing Design Manager, Growth 
• Demand Generation Manager, Growth

If you’d like to learn more about Qwick’s company ethos and job vacancies, check out it’s company’s website.

SOAX

SOAX is a UK-based data extraction company that operates 100% remotely. Founded in 2020, SOAX is growing quick – currently hiring a team of 74 employees based in over 20 countries.

SOAX rolled out a 32 hour 4-day workweek in March 2023, and are committed to paying workers 100% of their pay. In SOAX’s own words, they believed in the “power of results, not just the number of hours worked” making the company a great fit for hard working candidates that value flexible policies as well as well earnt downtime.

The tech company is currently hiring for four positions across it’s marketing operation and product teams:

• Performance Marketing Manager, Marketing
• Chief Operations Officer, Operations
• Compliance Manager, Operations
• Chief Product Officer, Product

For more detail on SOAX’s current vacancies, refer to the company’s career page.

Signifyd

Signifyd is a high-growth fraud protection company with offices in San Jose, New York, Denver, Belfast, London, Sao Paulo and Mexico City. However, many of it’s employees work 100% remotely, making it ideal for candidates searching for remote or hybrid opportunities.

The companies puts a heavy emphasis on employee wellbeing, and this is evidenced in their workplace policies. Signifyd first switched to a 32 hour 4-day workweek in January 2022, and also offers a number of other desirable benefits including unlimited PTO, on demand therapy, and flexible working hours from 7am to 7pm.

Due to Signifyd’s rapid expansion, it’s currently onboarding for a wide variety of roles, with specialisms spanning from commercial sales to engineering. Like the sound of the company? Check if any of these current vacancies match your credentials:

• Deal Desk & Proposal Manager, Sales
• Enterprise Business Development Representative, Sales
• Strategic Account Executive, Sales
• Strategic Account Executive, Sales
• Enterprise Solution Engineer, Sales
• Mid Market Solutions Engineer, Sales
• Account Executive II, Sales
• Customer Marketing Manager, Marketing
• Ditector of Growth Marketing, Marketing
• Data Science, Data Science
• Senior Risk Data Analyst, Risk Intelligence
• Senior Customer Success Manager, Customer Success
• Senior Accounting Analyst, Accounting
• Deal Desk & Proposal Manager, Solutions Engineering
• Enterptise Solutions Engineer, Solutions Engineering
• Mid Market Solutions Engineer, Solutions Engineering
• Strategic Account Executive, Enterprise Sales
• Account Executive II, Commercial Sales

Learn more about Signifyd’s current openings, and eligibility criteria on the companies careers page.

Feathr

Feathr is a marketing software company that leverages data to support non-profit and event organizers. Like every other company on this list, the company offers a 4-day workweek at 100% pay, with the policy first being rolled out in January 2021.

Feathr prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive workspace and offers a number of enticing perks to it’s US workforce, which is internally referred to as it’s ‘flock’. Feathr’s employee-centric culture is evidenced in it’s move to cut pay for upper management and executives throughout Covid-19, enabling the company to give it’s workers a Friday off.

In 2023 the policy still stands, and Feathr employees also benefit from 10 PTO days a year, unlimited sick time, and a winter and summer break.

Since we compiled our list of companies with 4-day workweeks hiring in November, Feathr has stopped hiring for it’s Senior Account Director. However, if you’re interested in joining the flock, it’s recently advertised a new role:

• Implementation Engineer, Data Integration Services

Learn more about Feathr and it’s vacancy on the company’s website.

Digable

Digable is a creative marketing and technology company based in Englewood, Colorado. Founded in 2017, the company regularly rewards it’s team of 86 workers, and was even voted a Top Workplace in Colorado in 2021 through to 2023, as well as the #1 Workplace for “Best New Ideas”.

Digable combines a 32 hour, 4-day workweek with other flexible policies like 28 days of PTO and flexible working hours. Despite being based in Colorado, Digable also lets employee work from anywhere around the world, making the company ideal for digital nomads and non American citizens.

With the company’s gaze set on expansion, it’s currently hiring for a variety number of roles, which we’ve listed below.

• Account Manager, Client Services
• Client Services Manager, Client Services
• Senior Account Manager, Client Services
• Paid Media Manager, Paid Media
• Paid Media Stratagist, Paid Media
• Ad Operations Specialist, Paid Media
• Data and Analytics, Tech
• Manager, Data Engineering, Tech (Fully remote)

To keep up to date with Digable’s vacancies, check out the companies list of current openings.

thredUp

thredUP is an online consignment and thrift store with partnerships with leading retailers including H&M and Bloomingdales. Founded in 2009, the company is now one of the biggest garment resale platforms, and is looking to expand it’s team of 940 employees.

thredUP first rolled out it’s 4-day workweek policy in 2021 after its successful pilot experiment. Now all of it’s employees are free to take Fridays off, without any compromises being make to their pay checks.

Unlike many companies on this list, most of thredUP’s roles don’t allow full-time remote advantages. This means that to with for thredUP you’ll have to be willing to work from one of it’s Oakland (CA), Scottsdale (AZ), Lancaster (TX), Suwanee (GA) offices at least three days a week, depending on which role you’re interested in.

Since our November round up, thredUP has stopped hiring for a Staff Software Engineer, Senior Front-end Software Engineer, Payroll Manager and a Data Analyst. However, the company is still hiring for a swath of roles, which we list below:

• Data Analyst, Marketing (Oakland, CA)
• Senior Software Engineer (remote, Poland & Romania)
• Senior Front-end Software Engineer, Content & Incentives (Oakland, CA)
• Engineering Manager, Merchandising (Oakland, CA & Scottsdale, AZ)
• Manager, SEC Reporting (Oakland, CA)
• Senior Product Designer (Oakland, CA)
• General Ledger Accountant (Oakland, CA)
• Senior Data Infra Engineer (remote, Poland & Romania)
• General Ledger Accountant (Oakland, CA)

thredUp has launched a number of new openings in recent weeks too, including:

• Custodian (Lancaster, TX)
• Compensation Analyst (Lancaster, TX, Scottsdale, AZ & Suwanee, GA)
• Vice President, Growth & Retention Marketing (Oakland, CA)
• Director of Customer Support (Scottsdale, AZ)
• Staff Applied Scientist Marketplace (Oakland, CA)
• Staff Data Scientist (Oakland, CA)
• Data Infrastructure Engineer (Oakland, CA & Scottsdale, AZ)
• Senior Software Engineer (Oakland, CA)
• Operations Lead (Lancaster, TX)
• Sr. Software Engineer, Notifications (Oakland, CA & Scottsdale, AZ)

New roles are being listen on ThredUp’s website regularly, so be sure to check it often to stay up to date.

Asking Your Boss for a 4-Day Workweek

While there are loads of great 4-day workweek opportunities out there, if you can’t one you’re eligible for, there are other options out there.

If you’re willing to move overseas for the perk, you can learn about which countries are taking a 4-daywork seriously in 2024. What’s more, instead of idly waiting for your company to warm to the idea of a 4-day week, you can also put the case forward to your employer directly.

This might seem daunting, but with the tide changing on flexible work and more businesses adopting the working arrangement more than ever before, now is an ideal time to convince your boss about its extensive benefits.

You shouldn’t jump in blindly though, as your case could have far reaching implications for your future at the company, as well as the job satisfaction of your wider workforce. You can also use 4-day workweek statistics to illustrate how successful the model has been for other businesses.

So, if you’re interested putting flexibility first, check out our guide on how to ask your company for a 4-day workweek, broken down into simple steps.

Elon Musk’s ongoing war with advertisers intensified in the last few days as Walmart – the world’s largest company by revenue – confirmed it had pulled its advertising from X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

While Musk struggles to keep his house in order, there seems to be some evidence that Meta’s Threads is making a comeback. New data charts a sharp uptick in new downloads this month, and the app is about to launch in Europe, marking its biggest expansion yet.

The X-odus Continues

Musk’s dicey relationship with advertisers caught the gaze of the world’s media once again last Wednesday after the tech mogul unceremoniously told advertisers to “go f*ck themselves” at the New York Times DealBook Summit.

The expletive-laden interview – praised by his right-leaning supporters and admonished by many to the left of them – was shortly followed by the news that Walmart isn’t advertising on the platform.

A company spokesperson told CNBC that Walmart – which has an eye-watering market cap of $415.31 billion – had found “other platforms” to “better reach its customers”.

Walmart joins a myriad of multi-national companies to pull advertising from Twitter since Musk’s chaotic takeover of the platform just over a year ago, after which he lost 50 of the company’s top 100 advertisers almost immediately.

Audi, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Ford, Wells & Fargo, and Disney are among the cohort of recognizable brands that no longer purchase ad space on the platform.

Threads Makes a Comeback

Threads had a bizarre start to life, becoming the fastest app to reach 100 million downloads in mid-July before seeing a huge decline in daily active users after its first week live on app stores.

However, signs of recovery are beginning to show. According to data compiled by Apptopia and seen by Techcrunch, Threads daily download figures jumped from 320,000 in early to mid-November to around 620,000 on November 23.

Although this is down on one million-per-day downloads Threads was accruing in September, the Meta app is now outpacing X. Since September, Zuckerberg’s brainchild has received a huge 41 million downloads compared to X’s 27 million.

However, few users have fully defected from X to Twitter, and the platform still dwarves Threads when it comes to the overall user base – the former has over 500 million users, while the latter has just under 100 million.

European Threads Expansion Incoming

The uptick in Threads downloads couldn’t come at a better time for Meta, which is planning to make the app available in Europe at some point in December, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Meta and the EU have been at loggerheads for some time over the company’s inclination to take EU citizens’ data overseas and process it outside of the bounds of the Union’s borders.

However, it seems that European users will only be able to use the app “for consumption” meaning that, upon launch, they won’t be able to make their profile or make their own posts. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start – and they’ll count to those download figures all the same.

Microsoft – which recently thwarted one the largest DDoS attack ever recorded – has issued a warning this week advising all Outlook users to update their software immediately after observing a nation-state threat actor actively exploiting a known vulnerability to target Exchange users.

Microsoft saw its Outlook services taken offline by the now-notorious cyber group Anonymous Sudan as recently as last month, another group thought to be linked to the Russian state who’ve targeted the tech giant on multiple occasions this year.

The fact that a patch for the vulnerability being exploited (as well as its bypass) has been available for months – yet is still being used to attack systems –  is a telling reminder of the importance of installing security updates.

Outlook Bug Being Exploited En Masse

Microsoft “has identified a nation-state activity group tracked as Forest Blizzard… based in Russia, actively exploiting CVE-2023-23397 to provide secret, unauthorized access to email accounts within Exchange servers,” a security blog post published by the company this week reads.

According to Microsoft, the threat actor’s primary targets include government, energy, and transportation organizations, as well as some companies and entities based in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East that aren’t directly affiliated with state governments.

The company says it’s currently working with the Polish Cyber Command division to take action against the threat actors.

Microsoft also revealed that there is evidence that the Russian Federation’s military intelligence agency, the “Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU)” is behind the attack. Activities related to this group are also tracked by Microsoft as “Forest Blizzard” but also known as “Fancy Bear” or “APT28”.

Criminals Exploiting Already-Patched Vulnerability

As detailed on the company’s security blog, Microsoft initially patched this flaw (CVE-2023-23397) back in March 2023, when it discovered it as a zero-day thought to have been actively exploited since April 2022.

However, a bypass was discovered in May 2023 (CVE-2023-29324) which in turn forced Microsoft to release yet another patch to stop the onslaught of zero-click attacks.

Unfortunately, because updates patching these exploits require companies and organizations to install them – and not all of them have – both vulnerabilities are still being used by cyber criminals to steal sensitive information from Outlook servers.

Microsoft’s Advice: Update Now

Along with this week’s update on precisely how this exploit is being used by criminals to target organizations across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, Microsoft also highlighted a raft of security measures that businesses should be implementing to protect themselves.

The key advice is to ensure that the latest Microsoft Outlook security updates are applied. This advice should be heeded wherever your mail is hosted, the company says, be it Exchange Online, Exchange Server, or another platform.

However, there’s also a script you can run to check if your business’s servers have been targeted by one of these attacks. If you find out that members of your organization have been targeted, reset the passwords of any accounts that received suspicious reminders.

Microsoft also advises that businesses implement multi-factor authentication wherever possible. The full list of recommended security implementations is included in the blog post referenced earlier in this article.

ExpressVPN has just released an app for tvOS — the operating system powering Apple TV — allowing existing users to unlock new content unavailable in their geographical location when streaming on the platform.

While other virtual private network (VPN) providers like hide.me, PureVPN, and US VPN are already supported by tvOS, ExpressVPN is the most widely used service to join its ranks to date — with the service currently boasting 4 million users globally.

Whether you’re a VPN veteran or a newbie to the tech, this guide will explain what Apple TV’s new addition means for ExpressVPN users, and how the tool can be installed and used on the streaming platform.

ExpressVPN Launches App for Apple TV

That’s right, ExpressVPN has just launched a dedicated app for tvOS users, allowing Apple TV users to connect to the VPN service while streaming their favorite content.

Existing ExpressVPN users can download the app through the App Store, with full access included in their subscription.

In a bid to catch up with streaming rivals Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV has been expanding native VPN support on the platform since the launch of tvOS — Apple’s own operating system that runs on the digital media player.

The platform — which is home to original content hits like Ted Lasso and For All Mankind — added support for PureVPN, IP Vanish, FlowVPN, and VPNIFY in September this year, and launched a hide.me integration later in November.

The release of ExpressVPN’s tvOS app marks the platforms biggest VPN partnership to date, but what does this mean for Apple TV users looking to get more out of their streaming experience?

Why Bother Streaming With a VPN?

While Apple TV offers 30 high-quality, original movies and over 50 shows, its content library is dwarfed by steaming giants like Netflix and HBO Max.

However, by switching the location of your VPN, you’re able to overcome geographical restrictions and access content from around the world. This gives users access to a greater selection of hit shows and films for the same price that they would be paying originally.

Going on vacation but don’t want to miss your nightly dose of Fargo? Rest assured. VPNs also allow users to login to their account from all around the globe — an activity that would usually be blocked by geographical user-permissions. This makes the technology especially useful to those who travel outside the US on a regular basis.

VPNs also encrypt your internet traffic and online identity, helping you keep your viewing habits private from prying eyes, and allowing you to access more objective content recommendations if that’s your preference. This feature is especially useful if you regularly stream using public Wi-Fi.

How to Install and Use ExpressVPN on Apple TV

Whether you’re an ExpressVPN customer or not, you’ll be able get started with its Apple TV app within in a matter of minutes. To find out how, watch the video or follow our simple steps below.

1. Sign up – Sign up for ExpressVPN if you haven’t already and choose between three available plans: 12-month at $8.32 per month, six-month at $9.99 per month, and one month at $12.95 per month. Learn more about ExpressVPN pricing here.
2. Download the app – Visit the App Store on Apple TV and search for ExpressVPN. Select “Get” to install the app.
3. Sign into your account – Then, sign into your ExpressVPN account using your credentials or a QR code. Connect to a browser location of your choice, turn on the VPN, and then you’re ready to get streaming.

As these simple steps demonstrate, getting started with ExpressVPN on AppleTV is pretty easy. Using VPNs on AppleTV doesn’t unlock as much content as it does with other platforms though. So, if you’re really keen on getting the most of the encryption tool, we’d recommend using a VPN on Netflix, instead.

Having a healthy work/life balance means different things to different people. For some, it might be as simple as working a low stress job, but for others the key is working remotely. With that in mind, here are some of the best fully remote jobs you can apply for in December 2023.

As sleigh bells starting ringing and the year draws to a close, plenty of us will be taking stock of where we’re at. Finding a new job at a company that actively promotes working from home might be your New Year’s resolution for 2024, in which case there’s no time like the present to start seeing what’s around.

You may even want to jump the gun and apply over the holidays, as there are some seriously tempting positions currently going right now. They include literally hundreds of fully remote jobs at industry leaders like Microsoft, along with the likes of Salesforce, Intel and PayPal.

Whatever your priorities and skillset, we’re here to help you cut through the noise and find the right remote working job to see you into the new year and beyond. Let’s get started.

Microsoft

Tech companies offering remote work don’t get much bigger than Microsoft. Far from resting on its laurels, however, the computing giant has gone from strength to strength in 2023.

It continues to break new ground, especially in the brave new world of AI, where it has quickly established itself as an industry leader thanks in part to an extremely pally relationship with OpenAI, who owns ChatGPT.

This forward-looking mindset extends to working arrangements at the company, with Microsoft offering huge numbers of fully remote jobs this December and throughout the year.

Here are some of the best to choose from that are listed as “up to 100% work from home” by the company, including dozens of vacancies for software engineers and plenty of exciting jobs to do with AI.

• Senior Software Engineer (multiple)
• Network and Data Security Architect
• Senior Product Manager
• Principal Research Scientist
• Technology Consultant – Data & AI
• Principal UX Research Manager

In fact, there are currently over 500 Microsoft remote jobs in the US you can apply for, making it one of the best places to start your search for a new WFH position.

Salesforce

Salesforce is a major player when it comes to remote work, thanks in no small part to charismatic CEO Marc Benioff’s proud proclamation that he’s “always been a remote worker” at heart.

For you, that equates to over 150 home working jobs currently live at Salesforce this December – a whole lot of vacancies for a period when the job market is typically quiet.

These include loads of listings for in-demand roles such as software engineers, plenty of jobs with impressive $100k+ salaries, and a directorship all about AI. Here are our picks this month.

• Full Stack Software Engineer II, Slack
• Operations Manager
• Engagement Director (Financial Services)
• Enterprise Account Executive, Education
• Senior Director, Global Readiness – AI
• Manager, Media Analytics

For even more vacancies and to apply, head to the Salesforce careers website.

Atlassian

Startup success story Atlassian sure has come a long way since it first set up shop Down Under in 2002. We remember using HipChat, one of its first products, which later became the basis for Slack. These days, its portfolio is known for big names like Jira, Trello and many more.

It’s almost as famous for its “work from anywhere” initiative, which was born in 2020 and is now one the company’s flagship policies. In fact, Atlassian boasts over 8,000 staff distributed across 13 different countries with one major thing in common: the ultimate flexible working lifestyle!

This December, you can choose from over 8o Atlassian jobs that offer remote working. Some may require occasional office attendance, so read each listing carefully, but in general the company is known as one of the most relaxed employers around.

Current vacancies include:

• Head of Design, Confluence 
• Principal Front End Software Engineer
• Senior Business Intelligence Engineer
• Community Strategist, Agile & DevOps
• Strategic Engagement Manager

Discover everything Atlassian has to offer and apply now at its careers page.

Ford

Few names scream traditional industry like Ford, the auto giant founded in 1903 that played a pivotal role in America’s Second Industrial Revolution, or Technological Revolution.

Far from being stuck in the past, however, the Ford of today embraces concepts such as remote working and is currently hiring for over 40 fully remote jobs in its home market.

These include a number of vacancies for software engineers, as well as the following positions:

• Customer Success Manager (onboarding)
• Mobile Service Market Operations Lead
• Technical Product Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Digital Marketing Analyst
• Cyber Security Analyst, Ford Pro

Apply for these jobs and learn about other roles at the Ford careers website.

Shopify

Shopify is nearly as renowned for its progressive stance on remote working as it is for making one of our favorite ecommerce website builders.

In its corporate literature, you’ll see Shopify imploring its employees to “do your daily work wherever you work best,” which means it’s not joined the many companies ending remote work this year.

Far from it, the company is “always hiring” remote software engineers, according to its careers website, and has more than 25 other remote-friendly positions currently vacant for December.

Some of our favorites are:

• Senior Risk Data Analyst
• Campaign Operations Lead
• Marketing Operations Manager
• Senior Mid-Market Account Executive, New Business
• Growth Marketing Lead, SEM
• Staff Product Designer, Financial Services

Check out and apply for these roles, or investigate other vacancies, over at the Shopify careers website.

Intel

Operating a “hybrid-first” model since 2021, Intel is another top company to turn to if finding a new remote working job is on your to-do list heading into the new year.

With over 130,000 employees spread all over the world, Intel is currently hiring for more than 83 fully remote positions, including a number of internships it plans to facilitate digitally. That’s 18 more vacancies that it had at this time last month, with many of the new roles popping up in the booming AI space.

Here are our top picks right now:

• AI Frameworks Engineer
• AI Algorithm Engineer
• Game DevTech Engineer
• Construction Facilities Contract Manager
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Unity 3D Developer

Head over to the Intel jobs website to learn more, or apply for these and many more roles.

PayPal

PayPal might not be advertising for quite as many jobs as some of the companies in this guide, but the 29 roles in has open for fully remote working in the US are quality ones.

Many are for senior leadership roles across a range of different departments, from engineering to finance and business operations, with one in particular listing a potential salary up to an eye-watering $319,000!

While we go sit in the corner and think about why we didn’t try harder at school, you can consider the following great remote job opportunities at PayPal.

• Senior Director, Business Operations
• Senior Director, Merchant and Payments PMO
• Lead Designer, Venmo
• Treasury Operations Manager
• Staff Software Engineer, Full Stack
• Director Enterprise Sales

More more on these and other jobs at PayPal, head over the the company’s website.

If you’ve ever wanted to land your dream job at Google, an internship is the perfect way to get your foot in the door. Better still, Google pays many of its interns generous salaries, with compensation equivalent to over $100k not uncommon for these roles at the tech giant. If angling for a low stress job just isn’t your style, read on as we explain how to apply for Google’s 2024 internships and highlight some of the best ones starting next summer.

One thing you need to know right away is that there’s a mid-December application deadline for many of Google’s most coveted internships that start next year. The exact specification of each program differs, but in general you’re looking at working for Google for 12 weeks over summer 2024.

Beyond that, you’ll need certain pre-existing qualifications if you want to get a gig at Google – we’ll explain more below. For now, here’s a look at the best Google internships starting summer 2024 with potential salaries equivalent to $100k or more.

Google Internships 2024: Summer Listings and Pay

If you want to get an internship at Google, chances are it’s not all about the money – but it certainly doesn’t hurt to see six-figure salaries attached to most of the internet titan’s placements.

Note that the salaries listed are the upper end of the pay range and interns are paid the monthly equivalent of the full-time salary they agree, for the duration of the internship (normally 12 weeks, or three months).

In other words, if you agreed a $100,000 salary, you’d be taking home approximately $8,333 a month, depending on any local taxes that might apply. This is reflected on Glassdoor, where Google intern monthly pay is listed as $6k up to $11k.

Some offer placements for different levels of study, with PhD students earning higher salaries than those studying for a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

• Technical Program Manager Intern (BS/MS) – up to $103,000
• Hardware Engineering Intern (PhD) – up to $127,000
• Hardware Engineering Intern (BS/MS) – up to $105,000
• User Experience Research Intern (PhD) – up to $125,000
• User Experience Research Intern (MS) – up to $106,000
• Silicon Engineering Intern (BS/MS) – up to $109,000
• Security Engineering Inter (BS/MS) – up to $116,000
• Data Scientist, Research Intern (PhD) – up to $132,000
• Data Scientist, Product Intern (MS) – up to $106,000
• Security Consultant Intern (BS/MS) – up to $116,000
• Software Engineering Intern (PhD) – up to $141,000

You can search even more Google internships, including global programs, at the company’s careers website.

Google Internships 2024: Last Date to Apply Deadline

The last date to apply for a summer 2024 internship at Google in the US is fast approaching, with a December 15, 2023 deadline set for most placements. 

If you miss that date, all is not lost however.

Google has one internship program, for a PhD Student Researcher, that is accepting applications until June 7, 2024. That role pays up to $141,000 and requires you to be enrolled in a PhD program such as computer science, applied mathematics, or biostatistics.

Is a Google Internship Right for Me?

If there’s a common thread that unifies the different internships Google is offering for summer 2024, it’s that they’re all quite technical roles that require a very specific skillset. Most are related to the field of engineering, whether it’s hardware, silicon, software or security. You could be working on any number of projects, from new Google Maps AI features to Google Passkeys.

This means you’ll need to be studying in a relevant field, most likely at one of the top universities for your subject (though Google doesn’t explicitly state this). It might sound harsh, but with thousands applying for these highly sought after placements, you’re probably best investing your time applying elsewhere if you don’t tick all of the boxes specified.

For all of the roles listed below, you’re able to share your preferred working location. The options include a number of major cities where Google has a presence, from its Mountain View HQ to outposts in Los Angeles, Boston (Cambridge, MA), Portland, Boulder, Pittsburg, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The positions are physical jobs, not remote ones, due to the high level of mentorship that hands-on work that they entail.

How to Apply for a Google Internship

If you think you’ve got what it takes, then go for it: as well as navigating via one of the listings above, you can also get started applying for a Google internship by creating your profile on its jobs website.

It thinks your whole application will be done and dusted in less than 15 minutes, which obviously doesn’t account for agonizing over every last word choice.

Equally, if a Google internship doesn’t feel right for you, don’t worry: there are loads of great companies offering remote work out there. Focus on finishing your education now and the world can still be your oyster.

Ever wondered if you’re getting the most out of WhatsApp? The popular messaging app is used by billions around the world every day, but with dozens of unique features and new launches coming out all the time, it’s safe to assume that one or two comprehensive features might have evaded you.

For example, WhatsApp recently launched a secret codes feature, which allows users to hide chats from their message list. The messaging app has also added passwordless functionality and is regularly updating the platform in response to customer feedback.

In this guide, you’ll learn about a few WhatsApp tips and tricks that can help you stay in touch with your friends and family better than ever.

What Is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a popular messaging app that works for both iOS and Android devices. The platform is one of the many services owned by Meta, including Facebook and Instagram.

While usage is not as widespread in the US, the app is one of the most popular in the world for text communication, with more than 2.7 billion users across the world.

WhatsApp Tips and Tricks for 2023

As one of the most popular messaging apps in the world for years, there is virtually no end to the interesting features and functionalities of WhatsApp. Still, even if you’ve been using it since it launched in 2009, you likely don’t know everything you can do with WhatsApp.

Here are some tips, tricks, and secret codes that can help you to utilize WhatsApp to its full potential.

1. Secret codes

Let’s start with the newest feature from WhatsApp launched this week: secret codes. This feature will allow users to lock chats behind an additional password for better security. Even better, you can hide the Locked Chats folder from the list view, only unlocking it if you input the secret code into the search bar.

To utilize secret codes, just click on the chat you want to hide, click the three-dot icon, tap Group info, and select Chat lock. Then, in your Locked Chats folder, click on Settings, tap Secret Code, and you’ll be able to create your secret code to access these hidden chats.

2. Mark as unread

There’s nothing worse than opening a message that you can’t reply to now but want to reply to later. After all, how could you possibly remember to the message in the future without some kind of obvious reminder? With the “Mark as unread” feature, you can keep that chat bold, even if you’ve read the most recent message.

Simply head to your chats list and long click the chat you want to mark as unread. Then, click the three-dot icon in the corner and select Mark as unread, and you’re all set. Now you have no excuse for forgetting to message your friend back!

3. WhatsApp Web

On the rare occasion that you don’t have your phone with you and still need to send a WhatsApp message, you’re in luck. The messaging app has a desktop website that allows you to access your app without your phone, as long as you set it up beforehand.

Simply head on over to the WhatsApp Web site and you’ll be prompted to download the app, pull up the camera function in the app, and scan a QR code. This will connect the website with your app, so you can message from the comfort of your computer.

WhatsApp Web in action
Source: Tech.co testing

4. Swipe to reply

If you want to reply to a particular message that’s fallen down the chat thread, you can do so by long clicking the message and clicking the reply button at the top of the screen. But who has time for all that, particularly when you can simply swipe to the right for the same effect!

This one is pretty simple. Just open up a chat and find the specific message that you want to reply to. Then, like you’re on Tinder looking for love, swipe to the right, and the reply will populate in your message bar immediately. Sure, it only saves you a single click, but think of all that time you’ll save in the long run.

5. Change your wallpaper

There’s nothing better than adding a little bit of flair to your everyday life, and WhatsApp gives you that opportunity with customizable wallpapers. You can change the background of different chat conversations to get you in the right frame of mind before you jump into the group chat.

To customize your background, just head to the chat you want to change, click your trusty three-dot icon in the upper right corner, and click on Wallpaper. Then, simply select an image from the gallery or upload your own to have a custom background for your chat.

6. Disappearing messages

Whether you’re a private person or planning a surprise, disappearing messages can be a helpful tool in any messaging app. While Snapchat made this kind of communication popular, WhatsApp has, of course, adopted the feature for its platform as well, and it’s very easy to use.

For starters, click on the chat that you want to employ disappearing messages with. Then head on over to the handy-dandy three-dot icon and click on Disappearing messages. You’ll then select the amount of time you want before messages disappear, either 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.

7. Pin a chat

Everyone has that favorite person they need to chat with at all times, and it’s frustrating to scroll down and have to find them every time. With the ability to pin a chat in WhatsApp, you can keep your favorite chats at the top of the list no matter what, so you’ll never have to scroll again.

To pin a chat, just head on over to your chat list and long click the chat that you want to pin. Then, click the push pin icon at the top of the screen. A push pin icon will appear to the right of your pinned chat, which will now stay at the top of your list no matter what.

8. View messaging data

Ever been curious about who you message the most? Or maybe you just want to see how many pictures you’ve sent on the app? WhatsApp is all about making data transparent while keeping you safe with end-to-end encryption, which is why you can securely check out your message data and learn a little about yourself in the process.

From the main chat list page, just click the three-dot icon in the upper right corner and click Settings. Scroll down on the Settings menu until you get to Storage and data and click on that. There, you’ll find a wide range of options to check out, including Manage storage and Network usage, which will give you some interesting insights into how you use the app.

9. Message privately in group chat

We’ll admit, this is a risky one. If you’ve ever wanted to talk privately in a group chat, this feature should be able to help you out. It allows you to stay within a group chat, but only communicate with a particular person in that group chat, so other members won’t see what you write.

To do so, simply head to the group chat in question and click on the message that you want to reply to. Instead of swiping right or clicking the Reply icon, head over to the three-dot icon and click Respond privately. This will take you to the private message with that user, but will still allow you to reply to the group chat message.

10. Turn off read receipts

If you’re tired of your friends and family calling you out for not responding to messages that you’ve clearly read, we have good news for you. WhatsApp allows you to turn off read receipts, so that no one will know if you’ve actually seen what they sent you or not.

Just click the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the home interface and select Settings. Scroll down and click on Privacy and you’ll see a toggle switch to turn off Read receipts. Turn it off, and you’ll be safe to ignore all the messages you want.

11. Mute a group chat

Group chats are great, but let’s be honest, they can be a bit much sometimes. If your friends are in a particularly heated argument or if dinner plans are taking too long to get right, you can mute the group chat so that you won’t be inundated with notifications until everything gets settled.

To take advantage of this feature, just select the group chat that you want to mute and click on the ever-useful three-dot icon in the upper right corner. You’ll see the Mute notifications button is immediately available, and a simple click will give you a bit of peace and quiet for the time being.

Artificial intelligence isn’t going to take over the world just yet, with the president of Microsoft insisting that the risk of a super-intelligent AI breakthrough is “years” or even “decades” away from being a reality.

For the last year, the meteoric rise of generative AI technology like ChatGPT has rocked the business world, leading to a wide range of advancements that have some users worried about a dystopian future of robot overlords.

However, many experts of the technology have noted that this kind of dystopian future is not nearly as close as the average user might think, no matter how many times you’ve seen The Terminator.

Artificial General Intelligence Still a Ways Off, According to Microsoft President

According to a Reuters report, the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, assuaged reporters on Thursday that a dangerous AI breakthrough was unlikely in the near future.

“There’s absolutely no probability that you’re going to see this so-called AGI, where computers are more powerful than people, in the next 12 months. It’s going to take years, if not many decades, but I still think the time to focus on safety is now.” – Brad Smith, Microsoft president

The potentially dangerous breakthrough in question relates to artificial general intelligence (AGI), an evolution of AI technology that could have some dire impacts on the world as a whole without the proper safeguards in place.

What Is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?

Artificial General Intelligence, colloquially known as AGI, is the next step beyond the current AI standard, also known as Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI). Services like ChatGPT and Google Bard are ANI platforms, because they are designed to perform a single task, like write content or create images.

AGI, on the other hand, is more complex, learning like humans do to perform a wide range of different tasks better than any human could possibly hope to. Essentially, without the proper safeguards, AGI is the robot overlord in sci-fi movies that can control everything and make your life miserable in a connected world.

Fortunately, most experts note that this level of AI advancement is a ways off, and as long as safety is prioritized in the early stages, shouldn’t lead to the extinction of all humanity.

AI Safety vs Innovation

If you followed all the madness over at OpenAI last week, you know that AI safety versus innovation has been a big debate in the tech community over the past year. And while the technology has the potential to improve productivity across the business world, it’s worth noting that a bit of hesitance for the sake of safety could go a long way.

“What we really need are safety brakes. Just like you have a safety break in an elevator, a circuit breaker for electricity, an emergency brake for a bus – there ought to be safety breaks in AI systems that control critical infrastructure, so that they always remain under human control.” – Brad Smith, Microsoft president

As the exponential growth of technology over the last few decades has shown, there’s no telling what kind of breakthrough is right around the corner. And if you don’t prepare for the bad with the good, you could end up with a lot more problems than solutions.

Job-searching might be stressful, but the actual job doesn’t have to be.

With inflatation and price-gauging plaguing the average worker in these troubled times, stress is soaring across age groups in the US. The American Psychological Association found in 2023 that 24% of adults rate their average stress between 8 and 10, which marks a 19% increase since the pre-pandemic average in 2019.

Thanks to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network and its online ranking of 873 different occupations, we can now tell you exactly which jobs demand the least stress — as measured by positions that require “accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.”

The lowest stress remote jobs are:

1. Actuary
2. Travel Agent
3. Search Marketing Strategist
4. Computer Systems Analyst
5. Proof-reader or Copy Marker
6. Statistician

1: Actuary

Median wage: $113,990 a year

As an actuary, you’ll analyze stats and data to weigh the rates of mortality, accidents, or retirements in order to forecast the risks and liabilities for companies that pay out benefits to workers. If you’re willing and able to gain the knowledge you’ll need in statistics or the correct software, you may be able to land the single least stressful work-from-home job possible.

Actuaries are rated a low 57 out of 100 on the Occupational Information Network stress scale, thanks in part to a dependable 40-hour work week. Median wages in 2022 were estimated to be $54.80 hourly and $113,990 annually. You will likely need a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or statistics (or the equivalent experience), and you’ll probably need to talk on the phone on a daily basis (52% of actuaries say they do).

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Financial Analyst (Actuarial Focus) at Humana – South Carolina, Remote
• Specialist, Financial Reporting at Nationwide – Ohio, Remote
• Assoc Actuarial Analyst at Molina Healthcare – Long Beach, CA, Remote

2: Travel Agent

Median wage: $46,400 per year

If statistics aren’t for you, travel might be. As an agent, you’d be planning and packages transportation and accommodations for your clients. Pick out a hot destination, the right travel dates, and deal with all the tricky details that many people would rather skip. It’s not just selling tour packages: You might be asked to help resolve travel-related problems in real time, too, keeping you on your toes.

You won’t need a ton of tech skills, but a few software options that you might find yourself using could include Zoom, scheduling software, online booking software, and database query software, as well as data analysis tools like DataSwell or Illusions Online.

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Corporate Travel Agent at Cain Travel – Remote
• Travel Agent at FlyTrips Travel – Remote
• Travel Consultant-Account Executive at Railbookers Group – Remote

Looking to have Fridays to yourself? Companies currently offering a 4-day work week.

3: Search Marketing Strategist

Median wage: $68,230 per year

Search engine optimization (SEO) tactics can dramatically boost company’s marketing efforts and revenue will follow along with effective marketing. By figuring out how to analyze all available research along with your company’s data on what its audience wants, a search marketing strategist can plan out all the most effective ad buys and all the best marketing investments.

And it’s a natural fit for a remote position, given that valuing the importance of the internet is key to success in this job.

Of course, there’s no end to the variety of technologies that can help you out, from business intelligence and data analysis tools likeBrightEdge, IBM Digital Analytics, Searchmetrics Suite, or Tableau to web page creation and editing software like Adobe Dreamweaver, LinkedIn, and WordPress. Coding skills aren’t needed, but wouldn’t hurt: A little AJAX or CSS know-how goes a long way.

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Digital Marketing Strategist at Saga Education – Remote
• SEO Strategist at Wallaroo Media – Provo, UT, Remote
• Content Marketing Strategist at Red Door Interactive – Remote

4: Computer Systems Analyst

Median wage: $102,240 per year

Systems analysis is a broad bucket, but it might cover figuring out solutions to “applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns,” according to the Occupational Information Network, where the gig is rated a 60 out of 100 for stressfulness. You’ll have deadlines, but a lot of downtime and (hopefully) very few crises.

This is among the most tech-heavy jobs in this guide, with a seemingly endless list of software and hardware knowledge that could prove useful depending on the situation. The top five software categories that you may need functioning knowledge of include database user interface and queries, development environment, object or component oriented development, program testing, and web platform development software.

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Teamcenter Developer at OPUSING STAFFING – Remote
• Computer Systems Analyst at B.E.A.T. LLC – Remote
• Programmer Analyst II at Public Health Institute – Remote

5: Proofreader or Copy Marker

Median wage: $45,410 per year

Love reading? This position challenges you to read through transcripts or proofread copy. This isn’t about editing; it’s for catching and correcting grammar, typographic, or composition errors. You’ll need to have an eye for the details, but it’s regular, low-stress work if you can get it.

Once again, working knowledge of the right software solutions can give you a foot up over your competitors. Your training software might include Adobe Captivate or InScribe, while you may find yourself working within the rest of the Adobe suite for everything from video editing to desktop publishing software like FrameMaker. And don’t forget the trusty Microsoft Word: Love it or hate it, Word has embedded itself in most companies.

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Medical Proofreader at IAS-USA – Remote
• Proofreader at Implico Communications Inc. – Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Remote
• Copy Strategist at Coalition Technologies – Culver City, CA, Remote

6: Statistician

Median wage: $98,920 per year

Figure out the right theories and methods to parse your business’s data, and you could uncover hidden benefits that can guide future business decisions in the short term or long term. At the very least, a good statistician can filter information until it becomes a useful database for a business to refer to and build upon.

You’re unlikely to be caught up in a statistics emergency, which might have helped the job role when it scored a pretty-low 64 out of 100 for stressfulness. Your position might be solely for crafting and interpreting surveys, or you might have a focus within a more specific field like biostatistics, agriculture, business, or economics.

Analytical or scientific software that might prove useful includes IBM SPSS Statistics, Minitab or MathWorks, and you may work with C++, Python, or Java. Of course, Microsoft PowerPoint is a must. How else can you communicate all your beautiful data-crunching methods with your team?

Examples of open remote positions (from Indeed.com)

• Statistician at Jackson Lewis – New York, NY, Remote
• Data Analyst at Smartstart Education LLC – Remote
• Biostatistician at Talentech Consulting LLC – Remote

Following its no-expense-spared debut ad earlier this year, budget shopping app Temu looks set to make another Super Bowl appearance.

The Boston-based, Chinese-owned company is currently in talks to buy another ad spot, in an effort to take even more market share from Shein and Amazon. However, negotiations haven’t been finalized, according to a company spokesperson.

Despite ending 2023 having lost $3.56 billion, Temu still takes the top spot on the iOS App Store — a position it’s held for the majority of the year.

Will It Be Second Time Lucky?

Until recently, Temu was only really used and talked about among younger, more price-conscious generations interested in purchasing anything from beauty goods and apparel to household items and electronics at a seriously discounted price. This meant its initial spot was an introduction to the app for millions of Americans and caused a 45% surge in downloads after it had aired.

The playful 30–second commercial was split across two slots and featured a female adding multiple outfits to her shopping cart, which would suddenly appear on her once purchased. The campaign itself was built around the “shop like a billionaire” tagline that the brand has become famous for.

As well as the high price tag for the spot, the cost of producing the commercial didn’t come cheap. However, Super Bowl ad real estate is typically considered essential and one of the most important dates in a marketing team’s calendar.

However, judging by PDD Holdings (Temu’s owners) past approach to aggressive promotion — particularly when challenging competitors Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and JD.com Inc. — its second stab at the Super Bowl should come as no surprise.

This Year’s Holiday Deals

As well as these all-out promotional efforts, Temu looked to capitalize on this year’s holiday demand by pushing some seriously heavy discounts. Take its recent Cyber Week Clearance campaign for example, where shoppers could get up to 90% off products, with some items starting at just $0.39. 

These prices, combined with the current cost-of-living crisis, are no doubt the reason for the app’s rise in popularity. But just how is the bargain basement retailer able to offer such deals, while retaining heavy sums of cash to pump into marketing?

How Is Temu Doing It?

Extreme brand exposure is largely behind Temu’s loss leader strategy when entering foreign markets. This, plus significant backing and direct connections to Chinese wholesalers via PDD Holdings, means Temu can significantly undercut its competition.

And it’s not just the online space that Temu is managing to hold its own in either. Aside from Shein and Amazon, the app’s growth has even superseded major retailers like Target.

While confirmation on 2024’s ad spot is still to be announced, when you pair the above success with the huge impact of its initial Super Bowl commercial, you can see why the company would come back for more. 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has this week unveiled a generative AI chatbot for the workplace that can be tailored specifically to your business’ needs.

AWS, the retail giant’s cloud division, has stated that Amazon Q will help workers draft emails, summarize reports, and write blog posts.

It was only a matter of time before Amazon launched yet another AI innovation to compete with existing chatbot tools, such as Microsoft’s chatbot Copilot.

What Does Amazon Q Do?

Not to be dismissive of course, but Amazon Q doesn’t appear offer anything too groundbreaking with this chatbot. Much like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, Amazon Q users can talk to it like it’s a human. Through these conversations the platform will then solve problems, generate content, and take action based on business-specific data. 

This business-focused angle is where things start to get interesting, however. The business-specific data will be fed to Amazon Q through your company’s information repositories, code bases, and enterprise systems, giving the chatbot it’s ‘tailored to your business’ USP.

From here, Amazon Q claims to be able to “help streamline tasks, speed decision-making and problem-solving, and help spark creativity and innovation at work”.

It’s aimed at marketing professionals, project managers, and sales representatives, as well as IT professionals and developers who’ll be able to conduct research, code new features, and build applications on Amazon’s cloud servers. 

Amazon Q will connect to services such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Slack for even more data integration.

Amazon Q Capitalizes On AWS’ Expertise

Amazon has been testing and toying with a variety of AI tools and innovations for some time now. Back in April it announced Bedrock, a generative AI toolkit that allows text and image generation through access to foundational models from Amazon and third parties.

And again, in September, plans for a $4 billion investment into AI-startup Anthropic – best known for its ChatGPT competitor Claude – were similarly announced. 

So what makes Amazon Q standout and, more importantly, better than the current crop of chatbots on offer? Well, aside from the business approach, it appears to be capitalizing on AWS’ name and expertise. In a statement on its website, AWS explains:

“We have trained Amazon Q on 17 years’ worth of AWS expertise, so it can transform the way that you build, deploy, and operate applications and workloads on AWS”. This essentially means it’ll suggest the best AWS services a solution to a project need or query, keeping you firmly within its suite of tools.

How To Get Hold Of Amazon Q

Amazon Q is currently only available to AWS users in select parts of the US, with a pricing structure that is split into two tiers: Amazon Q Business and Amazon Q Builder.

Amazon Q Business will set you back $20 a month per user and offers all the standard generative AI tool features you’d expect – functionality to solve problems, generate content, and take action based on your company’s information.

Amazon Q Builder will be $25 per month and is aimed at developers and IT professionals who want to build, optimize, and operate applications using the platform.

To get started, users need to log into their existing AWS account or sign up.

Despite what you may have seen or heard, Apple’s new NameDrop feature, that allows for easy sharing of contact details, is not a security risk.

Now that’s out the way, we’re going to take you through the simple steps needed to turn it off and find out what sparked the privacy concerns. 

Spoiler alert: the scaremongering started (and ran wild) on social media. 

Turn Apple NameDrop Off In Three Quick Steps

It’s difficult to accidentally initiate a NameDrop transfer however, if you’re worried or would rather have the feature disabled, allow us to help:

1. Head to your ‘Settings’ app.
2. Tap ‘General’ and then ‘Airdrop’.
3. Scroll to ‘Bringing Devices Together’ and toggle the switch off.

And NameDrop is no more.

How Does NameDrop Actually Work?

Fortunately, it’s not as simple as placing two iOS 17-updated iPhones near each other and letting them take over your contact list with zero control. After all, NameDrop requires explicit permission from both parties to work. Plus, there are a few intentional steps each user needs to take.

To share contact details via NameDrop:

1. The tops of both iPhones need to be pretty much touching – and remain so – in order to establish a connection.
2. Once the connection has started, both iPhones will glow and the NameDrop screen will pop up.
3. This screen will give users two options: tap to receive a contact card or hit ‘Share’ to share your contact details.

The functionality means it would be pretty difficult for anyone to initiate a NameDrop transfer without your knowledge. After all, the phones would have to be practically touching and you’d need to accept the request before any transfer started.

It’s also worth knowing that pulling your phone away at any time will immediately cancel a NameDrop transfer.

Where Did NameDrop Rumours Come From?

As with most scaremongering stories, we have social media ‘Share’ button to thank. 

Across the US, police departments had been posting warnings that iPhone users with iOS 17 installed would have the NameDrop feature turned on by default. This had then been misconstrued as putting users and their children’s contact details at risk, with the idea that anyone could tap an iPhone without the user’s knowledge and get hold of sensitive information.

A Connecticut Police Department’s Facebook post claimed that the feature could “automatically receive [a user’s] contact information to include their picture, phone number, email address and more, with a tap of your unlocked screen.”

While it’s true that NameDrop is turned on by default, the rest of the information shared was an exaggeration of the truth. Cybersafety experts have since spoken out to say that the technology is safe to use, and could even serve as a reminder for parents to discuss digital safety and safeguarding private information with their children.

Liz Repking, owner and founder of Cyber Safety Consulting, explained: “I wouldn’t say they should be hyper concerned about NameDrop more so than any other feature that their kids are exposed to when they use the devices”. 

The Microsoft 365 browser extension is officially being put into retirement, despite the add-on being downloaded at least 10 million times throughout its eight-year lifespan.

Microsoft is planning to discontinue support for the web extension in January 2024, and will also be removing it from Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome web stores at this time.

The software provider hasn’t revealed why it’s putting the free extension, which gives users access to Microsoft 365 documents on the web, but here’s what its untimely departure will mean for users.

Microsoft 365 Web Extension to Retire in January

Microsoft is ending support for its well-loved 365 web extension on 15 January 2024, despite the tool boasting six million downloads on Google Chrome and four million on Microsoft Edge.

The extension gives users quick access to Microsoft apps like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Teams on the web, and has been a popular function among users since it was first launched in 2015.

“The Microsoft 365 browser extension will also be removed from Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome web stores as an extension add-on,” – Microsoft announced

As outlined in a recently released support document, Microsoft recommends removing the extension by selecting the Microsoft 365 browser  extension icon next to the address bar in your browser, clicking on settings, and selecting ‘Remove from Microsoft Edge.’ You can also uninstall the add-on under ‘Manage extensions.’

What Does This Mean for Microsoft 365 Web Users?

Once the January 15th deadline has passed, users will still be able to use Microsoft’s 365 browser extension, but the tool will no longer receive security updates, general updates, technical support, or vulnerability fixes.

This, unfortunately, will make the extension more prone to errors and lags, and will also make it a ticking time bomb for cyber breaches as threats detected on the platform won’t be able to get resolved.

With the extension also disappearing from the Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge stores, new users will also be unable to download the function after its cut off date.

The Microsoft Edge 365 sidebar. Source: supportmicrosoft.com

Instead of accessing Microsoft’s suite of apps through the extension, however, users are able to use the apps for free at www.microsoft365.com. For greater ease of use, you can also access the tools and app within your current tab using the Microsoft Edge sidebar (pictured above).

The US, the UK, and 16 other countries have announced new guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence (AI), based on the principle that these systems need to be secure by design.

The international agreement, which is the first of its kind, represents a leap forward in AI safety, by prioritizing the well being of consumers over the rapid development of commercial AI products.

However, with OpenAI already developing an artificial general intelligence (AGI) system that researchers fear may be a “threat to humanity” and other companies playing catch-up with their own AI models, it’s unclear whether the non-binding guidelines go far enough.

Global Push to Make AI Systems ‘Secure By Design’

The US, the UK, and dozens other countries including Germany, Italy, Australia and Singapore have released new guidelines for the development of AI technology.

The 20-page agreement which was published by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) emphasizes that the systems should be “secure by design”, and is broken down into four main areas: secure design, secure development, secure deployment, and secure operational and maintenance.

“The approach prioritizes ownership of security outcomes for customers, embraces radical transparency and accountability, and establishes organizational structures where secure design is a top priority,” – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The directive encompasses each stage of the AI development lifecycle, and intends to protect the public from misuse by ensuring “the technology is designed, developed, and deployed in a secure manner” according to CISA.

Aside from advocating for safe AI development, the agreement also requires companies to report vulnerabilities in the technology through a bug bounty program, so exploits can be identified and stamped out quickly.

Biden Takes Europe’s Lead on AI Safety

This agreement is the first time in history that countries from across the globe have banded together to create recommendations for secure AI development. However, they’re the latest in a string of actions the US government has been taking to manage risks associated with the technology on home soil.

At the end of October, the White House launched its first-ever executive order on AI development, addressing a number of concerns like algorithmic bias, data privacy, and job displacement.

The crackdown represented a hardened stance the government is taking towards AI. But while White House Chief of Staff Bruce Reed claimed these were the “strongest set of actions” any government has taken to safeguard AI, the US’s pace of change still lags behind its European neighbors.

First proposed in 2021, the EU passed its AI Act in June of this year, which classifies different AI systems by the potential risk they could pose to users. The framework aims to turn Europe into a global hub for trustworthy AI, and unlike the recent agreement, mandates changes through legislature, instead of non-binding guidelines.

Do these Guidelines Go Far Enough?

With AI creating lucrative opportunities for Silicon Valley’s top dogs – exemplified in OpenAI’s pending AGI model ‘Project Q*’ – it’s unclear whether these non-binding recommendations will convincing enough to generate real change.

What’s more, with research revealing that there are “virtually unlimited” ways to evade ChatGPTs and Google Bard’s security features, the new guardrails also fail to address the security concerns of AI models already in the wild.

However, any global effort to ramp up safeguards in the AI wild-wild west undoubtedly marks a step in the right direction.

Google is conducting a massive cull of inactive accounts on December 1st, giving users three days to act if they want to prevent their historical data from being deleted forever.

The purge, which extends to Gmail, Docs, Drive, Photos, Calendar, and YouTube accounts, aims to prevent data from being phished by bad actors, but risks countless memories being lost by users who fail to act fast enough.

If you want to protect your Google data ahead of the looming deadline and safeguard your data against future closures, we show you how this can be done.

Google is Deleting Inactive Accounts From December 1st

On Friday, Google will be terminating all Google Accounts that have been inactive for two years, according to a March update to their inactive account policy.

The cybersecurity measure aims to lower instances of cyberattacks, as forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that are more likely to be breached, Google explained in a company blog post.

This policy concerns the data of inactive personal Google accounts, including content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar),Google Photos, and YouTube. Google Business and School accounts will not be affected.

How to Prevent Your Google Account From Being Deleted

Fortunately, saving your old account from being wiped from existence is very straightforward – as long as you remember your old password.

All you need to do is sign into your account. This will deem your account as ‘active’ and therefore will prevent it from being deleted. Then, sign-in to your account at least once every two years to save it from being discarded in the future.

In the likely case that you’ve forgotten your password, follow Google’s account recovery steps to verify your identity. Then, if successful, reset your password to something easier to remember and store it in a password manager.

According to Google’s blog post, after you’ve signed in there are a number of ways to display activity on your account, including:

• Reading or sending an email
• Using Google Drive
• Watching a YouTube video
• Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
• Using Google Search
• Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service

All existing subscriptions set up through your Google Account count as account activity too, so if you’ve subscribed to a service your account will be protected from Google’s pending actions.

If you’re ready to let your account go, but you want to protect sensitive or sentimental information from future wipes, we’d also recommend backing your Google data up. We break down how this can be done next.

How to Back Up Your Google Data

To back your Google account data up, simply visit this Google Site for a blow by blow on how to download and archive account data. You’ll be able to select which format your data will be archived in, and even learn about what happens to your detected account information.

After you’ve clued yourself up, use the company’s Google Takeout service to save your data. The tool gives you agency over which account data you protect, be it from email, photo or OneDrive accounts, and it also lets you chose it’s export destination.